Q: Where can I find ramp, a vegetable? It is in many recipes, but I cannot find it in stores.

A: We are so lucky in Montreal to have  many real live farmer’s markets. The biggest one is Jean Talon Market found near boul. Jean-Talon and boul. St-Laurent. Our fabulous Montreal restauranteurs go there for everything imaginable to cook with. Walk around to all the vegetable stands and ask. There’s also the Atwater Market on Atwater Ave. but they don’t have as many stands.

Q: Great book but I have a question regarding leather supplies. I am looking for belt blanks and heavy scrap pieces, usually 12” x 12”, usually around 9 oz. I’ve been to Tandy but they aren’t really all that helpful. It was suggested to me to see a saddle maker for scrap pieces, good luck finding a saddle maker. Any suggestions?

A: Tandy (8245 boul. Langelier) really is the best place in town for leather hobbies. There are lots of horses out west in Hudson/ St-Lazare so there must be leather harness makers out there too.

Shoemakers are also working with leather, here’s the coordinates for Cordonnerie Rosemere where you can ask about supplies: http://smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=199

Location: 401 boul Labelle Rosemere QC J7A 3T2
corner: Autoroute 640
Tel: 450-437-3231

You might try shoemaker’s supply stores, Cuir Federal Leather and Cork, 368 Avenue Fairmount O, Montréal, QC H2V 2G4 Phone:(514) 276-4719 used to make belts and had some leather pieces but they sold to new owners and I don’t know what they stock now.

Q: Where would I find a flank, hanger, skirt or onglet steak? I cannot find a store to buy it.

A: Any butcher in the Atwater or Jean Talon markets, or Marche de l’Ouest on Boul. des Sources, DDO should be able to cut these for you.

If you want great prices on meat, head to Mayrand (note they will be moving in Feb, see both addresses below), the no-fee wholesale food store is piled 20 feet high with everything you’d find in a supermarket and beyond. It stocks 4 times more selection than that famous warehouse club with more consistency and choices.

Since they are oriented for sales to restaurants, hotels and institutions, their prices have always been excellent.  It also means that you can often find select meat in the AA or sometimes AAA grades, whole filet mignons and rib roasts, pork rump and hock, homemade sausages, marinated chicken and pork, fish and seafood.

Location: 5650 Boul. Metropolitan Blvd. East, St-Leonard H1S 1A7
MOVING IN FEBRUARY, 2016: 9701 boul Louis H Lafontaine, Anjou
corner: boul Lacordaire
Tel: 514-255-9330
Hours: Mon-Wed 6:45-4:30, Thurs & Fri 6:45-9 pm, Sat 6:45-4:30, Sun 9-4
www.mayrand.ca

Q: I would like to sell my 3/4 custom made female mink coat and hat from Alexander Furs.

A: It is very difficult to sell used fur coats and you get very little for them. The last furrier that I knew about who bought them is no longer in my book. There are some re-cycling artisans who use them on clothing. It would be a donation, though: You can call and ask: La Gaillarde, 514-989-5134

You can call the 20 or so second-hand clothing stores in my book, Smart Shopping Montreal (you can buy it on this site) and see if anyone wants it. Or you can post it on Kijiji or Craig’s List and see if you can sell it that way.

During the year, in the Senior Times, there was an ad which said “I buy women’s and men’s fur coats“. I pay cash and pick up anywhere in Canada.

Tel; 514-996-0321
e-mail: recyclefur98@gmail.com.

If anyone uses this service, please let me know how it turned out.

This might be a good time of year to sell off collectibles to make a bit of cash to pay off the expenses of the holidays. Besides, dinnerware, look around the house and see what you are not using anymore.

Q: My mother has vintage Royal Albert Country Rose dinnerware and alot of other pretty things. We’d like to sell it. Do I try Sothebys?

A: It is difficult to sell old china as it is getting less interesting to the younger generation. You would be lucky if Sothebys wants to take it. We also have other auction houses in Montreal like Empire Auctions Tel: 514-737-6586 and Ieogor Auctions Tel: 514 344-4081, which sell that too.

If not, you can take a photo and try to sell to one of the antique stores on rue Notre Dame from Atwater to Guy. There is a list of the stores in my Smart Shopping Montreal book on page 186..

There is a web site which buys and sells old china in the US called: www.replacements.com and there’s always ebay.

Q: Cheese fondue is our family New Year’s tradition (works too for the vegetarians in our family). Is there somewhere I can buy Emmentaler and Gruyere cheese without paying an exorbitant amount? I found it very expensive last year. Enjoy listening to you n CJAD.

A: I find the best prices at sales at  Mourelatos, Adonis or Euromarche. Keep your eye on the flyers for this week and next.

If you don’t want to wait for sales, head to Mayrand which is a no-fee wholesale food store and is piled 20 feet high with everything you’d find in a supermarket and beyond. It stocks 4 times more selection than that famous warehouse club with more consistency and choices.

There’s almost 1,000 kinds of cheese, fresh meat and fish, ethnic foods (Italian, Latino, Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern) and fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers whenever possible.

In addition to all the usual items they have the less usual like Halal meat, whole filet mignons and rib roasts, pork rump and hock, homemade sausages, marinated chicken and pork as well as 70 varieties of olive oil, and dozens of flavorful Italian coffees and pastas. Their ever growing catalog of products seems almost endless.

What a great place to shop…super prices and tremendous choice.

5650 boul. Metropolitan E, St-Leonard H1S 1A7
corner: boul Lacordaire
Tel: 514-255-9330
Hours Mon-Wed & Sat 6:45-6,Thurs & Fri 6:45-9, Sun 9-6
http://smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=43

for flyers:
Mourelatos   http://mourelatos.com/en/visit-circular-2/
Adonis     http://groupeadonis.ca/CMS/index.php/en/en-vedette-2 and
Euromarche    http://euromarche.ca/flyer_en.html

Come in and enjoy shopping for fabric and more in the spacious enlarged home decor area. If you want the popular motorized blinds, there’s a wall display of options. Browse through the section on ready-to hang curtain panels or if you want to order some special fabric, get comfy at the tables, and peruse the many fabric books: Robert Allen, Maxwell, Joanne, Avante Garde, J. Ennis and more. Look for the creative sample table set up like a bed of pillows.

Right now there is a Fall sale of 50% off on all blinds in store and 30% off all fabric online and in store.

Q: I was wondering if you could tell me the names of shops in Montreal that sell authentic used high end designers women’s clothing and accessories.

A: There are 6 or 7 in my Smart Shopping Montreal book (buy at www.smartshoppingmontreal.com). Here’s an excellent one on my web site, Boutique Encore: 2145 Crescent
http://smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=6

Q: Heard you CJAD today ! I was so excited to know that I might finally get help to salvage a silverware set. given to me by my mother. It’s a lovely silver coffee set (tray, coffee/ tea pot , milk and sugar bowls. ) Unfortunately, it’s so tarnished (turned black/ blue ) that I wonder if I could ever get it polished enough to reveal its beauty.

That being said , I wish to have it professionally cleaned . Could you please let me know if anything can be done to save this set. There is no way that I can clean it myself. I’ll go anywhere on the island of Montreal ! Thank – you for your input .

A: Well these type of repairmen are dying off quickly. The only one I have left is Barocco Tel: 514-866-7205. He’s a 2nd generation silversmith and loves his work. I know he makes silver pieces, just don’t know if he cleans them. And then there’s Birks…

Q: I have bought your books in the past and read your newspaper articles. We finished renovating our basement and we have medium size walk in closet that needs shelving, rods to hang clothes and shoe rack. Do you know of a reasonable handyman that does this type of work or specializes in this. Thank you very much and have a healthy summer. You are very informative for people on a budget.

A: You might try Arrange Spaces Tel: 514-339-1111 or Glenn Robertson Closet Design  Tel: 514-425-6738